Part 65 (2/2)
”I'll be glad when we get away from here,” she declared, clinging to Quest's arm. ”That Chinaman hates Laura like poison, and I'm afraid of him.”
Quest nodded.
”She does seem to have put his back up,” he agreed. ”As to going on, I think we might just as well move tomorrow. My arm's all right.”
”And I'm quite well,” Lenora a.s.serted eagerly.
”We've wired for them to meet Craig,” Quest said. ”I only hope they don't let him slip through their fingers. I haven't much faith in his promise to turn up at the Professor's. Let's see what Laura and French have to say.”
”Can't see any sense in staying on here any longer,” was French's immediate decision, ”so long as you two invalids feel that you can stand the journey. Besides, we're using up these fellows' hospitality.”
”We'll get everything in order to-night,” Laura decided, ”and start first thing to-morrow.”
They busied themselves for the next hour or two in making preparations.
After their evening meal, the two men walked with Lenora and Laura to their tent.
”I think you girls had better go to bed,” Quest suggested. ”Try and get a long night's sleep.”
”That's all very well,” French remarked, ”but it's only eight o'clock.
What about a stroll, Miss Laura, just up to the ridge?”
Laura hesitated for a moment and glanced towards Lenora.
”Please go,” the latter begged. ”I really don't feel like going to sleep just yet.”
”I'll look after Lenora,” Quest promised. ”You have your walk. There's the Professor sitting outside his tent. Wouldn't you like to take him with you?”
Laura glanced indignantly at him as they strolled out, and Lenora laughed softly.
”How dared you suggest such a thing!” she murmured to Quest. ”Do look at them. The Inspector wants her to take his watch, and she can't quite make up her mind about it. Why, Laura's getting positively frivolous.”
”Guess we'd better not watch them any longer,” Quest decided. ”What about a game of bezique?”
”I should love it!” Lenora a.s.sented. ”You'll find the cards in that satchel.”
They sat and played for half an hour by the light of a lantern. Suddenly Quest paused in the act of dealing and glanced over his shoulder.
”What the mischief was that?” he muttered.
”Sounded as though the tent flapped,” Lenora replied.
Quest rose, and with the lantern in his hand walked to the other side of the tent. The flap was open, but there was no sign of any one in sight. He looked around and came back.
”Queer thing!” he exclaimed. ”It sounded just as though some one had pulled the flap of the tent back. The flap's open, but there isn't a soul in sight.”
”I expect it was fancy,” Lenora remarked. ”Still, there isn't a breath of wind, is there?”
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